Learning Undefeated, AstraZeneca and The WRK Group Launch Multi-Year STEM Education Partnership to Benefit Wilmington Students

WILMINGTON, Del., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Learning Undefeated, AstraZeneca, and The WRK Group (The Warehouse, REACH Riverside, and Kingswood Community Center) are kicking off a multi-year partnership to bring hands-on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education to Wilmington area students.

The multifaceted education partnership engages local students with STEM concepts through hands-on education and introduces them to in-demand STEM careers located right in their own backyard. The program combines school visits from Learning Undefeated's Drop Anywhere Lab, a traveling science laboratory housed in a shipping container, with weekly afterschool STEM programming at The Warehouse, a teen-led community center in the Riverside neighborhood created for teens, by teens.

"Groundbreaking science is created in Delaware, making it a hot spot for STEM jobs. We want to energize students and get them excited about all of the STEM career opportunities that are right here in their local community," said Brian Gaines, CEO of Learning Undefeated. "Through this collaboration between AstraZeneca and the WRK Group, we will benefit thousands of students across the region by building their confidence in STEM subjects and empowering them to know that STEM careers are out there for them."

This new collaboration supports the development of a Delaware STEM ecosystem, creating educational opportunities for teachers and students based on the leading-edge research and development within the local community.

The mobile lab will visit its first Delaware school, A.I. Dupont Middle School, the week of October 25. In addition to providing STEM skill-building workshops for local teens, the Drop Anywhere Lab will visit two schools that operate out of the Warehouse, Eastside Charter School and Kingswood Academy, in December.

"The Warehouse and The WRK Group share a collective mission to empower the community to reach its full potential by eliminating the barriers of structural racism and revolutionizing teen engagement," said Melody Phillips, The Warehouse's Director of Operations. "Our partnership with Learning Undefeated illustrates our ongoing commitment to bring the right tools, resources, and people to Wilmington's youth. This STEM program helps build the knowledge and skills teens need to thrive in our 21st-century economy. Putting professional-grade science equipment in teens' hands and connecting scientific investigations to local careers opens our youth's eyes to a whole new world of possibilities."

The Drop Anywhere Lab student experience, designed for grades 6-8, uses game-based learning, touchscreen walls, and special effects to explore chemistry concepts. The learning continues in the classroom with extension activities that allow students to continue exploring through hands-on laboratory investigations.

Wilmington-area middle schools can sign up to receive a free visit from the mobile lab at the Learning Undefeated website.

About Learning Undefeated
Learning Undefeated provides life-changing STEM experiences for under-resourced communities by providing equitable access to education and inspiring students to imagine their own success. Through innovative and experiential education programs for grades K-12, we are sparking interest in STEM careers and building the workforce that will drive the innovation economy. Learning Undefeated's flagship education program features mobile STEM labs that have provided hands-on learning opportunities to over one million K-12 students in all 50 states since 2003.

Learning Undefeated also operates several other celebrated STEM education programs, including the Young Science Explorers Program, a summer camp for middle school students, Advancing Tomorrow's Leaders in STEM (ATLAS) College and Career Exploration Program, STEM Leadership Experience, student competitions, after-school programs, curriculum development and disaster recovery education.

Visit learningundefeated.org or follow us on social media @LearningUNDFTD.

About WRK Group
The WRK Group is comprised of three organizations and over 130 employees who share a collective mission to empower the community to reach its full potential by eliminating the barriers of structural racism and revolutionizing teen engagement. REACH Riverside, overseeing a $250M holistic revitalization, also serves as the managing partner for Kingswood Community Center, a pillar of the Northeast Wilmington neighborhood for 75 years, and The Warehouse, an educational and recreational oasis for teens.

SOURCE Learning Undefeated